The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-05-13
.er, and gave the people to drink.

ter, and gave the people to drink.
The children eat some more bread
soaked in water. so did the old woman,
but the man could not eat. 'My stom-
ach turns against it" he slid. His
wife did not rouse up at all, but re-
manned unconscious, throwing herself
from side to side on the bed.
Elisha went off to the Village shop,
bought millet, salt, flour, butter, look
ed about and found hatchet, cut some
fire wood and lit the stove. The lit
Tie girl began to help him, and he
made soup and fed the starving family.
The sick man and the old woman
took Il little of the warm food, but the
little girl and boy scraped the dishes
clean, and then with their arms around
one another's necks fell fast asleep.
Then the peasant and the grand
mother began to tell their story. Given
before the dearth came we were not
rich, but when last years crops failed
We had to part with everything for
food, and afterwarl we were obliged to
90 begging to the neighbors and other
kind-hearted people. At first they
gave us something, but after time
they began to send us away. There
were those who would gladly have help
ed us still, but they had nothing them
selves. And then We were ashamed to
beg. Besides, We were in debt to every
body: we borrowed money, flour, and
bread"
The man added Il used to &C
about looking for work, but there was
none to be had. There were numbers
willing to work for nothing but their
food. | would get Il days work now
and then. but at other times there was
nothing to do but to 90 about looking
for it. At last the old woman and the
little girl had to 90 far away to beg
of strangers. They did not bring back
much, for the people had but little
bread themselves. We managed to
keep ourselves alive in this way, hop
ing to struggle on till next harvest
But when the spring came people left
off giving altogether, and at that time
sickness came upon us. Things were
now at their worst one day we would
have something to eat, and the two
following were perhaps without any
thing, We began to eat grass. Maybe
it was that which made the wife so i'll,
and | have lost all my strength. There
was nothing 10 put Il little life into
u.s.
''Only l kept about said the old
woman; 'but for want Of food | toe
grew weak and began to fail. The lit
. tie girl also became weak and nervous.
We tried to send her to the neighbors,
but she only hid herself in a corner
and could not be got out of it. Two
days ago one of the neighbors looked
in upon MS, but seeing that We were i'll
and starving, she turned and went
away. Her own husband had left her
and she had nothing with which tt
: feed her little children. SO we lay
: and waited for death.
Elisha heard this tale to the end
and gave up the idea of rejoining hi;
, companion on that day. He spent the
, night in the cottage.
Next morning as soon us he was III
he set about the work of the house Il:
if he were master there, helped the ole
woman to knead the bread, and light.
ed the stove. Then, taking the little
girl with him, he went to the neigh
E bors' houses to try and recover some
2, of the things which had been parted
with. for there was nothing left, Meth
er for household use, nor any clothing
SO Elisha set to work, made some o
the necessary things with his owl
hands, and bought others in the vii
lage. Busted with all this he stayet
: one dav, then a second, then Il third
. The little boy was recovering. He be-
Gan to climb on the bench and cling
about Elisha. The little girl, who was
now quite cheerful, helped him with
all the work. She would run after
him from morning till night, calling
out, '.Grand-dad, grand-dad. -
The old woman took courage ant
went round to the neighbors.
The peasant too began TO walk
creeping along by the wall. Only hi
wife still lay in bed; but on the thirt
E day she became conscious, and askeC
for food "Well," said Elisha to him
self, Il never thought to lose SO mucl
time. Now | must be off.
VI.
The fourth day was the last day o
the feast, (the Russian Church has IN
stituted four Low Feasts in the year
That to which reference is made in tn'
text precedes the Feast of st. Petel
: and st. Paul in early summer), ant
Elisha thought, 81 should like t.
break the feast with these poor folks
| can buy something for the feast, an(
: towards evening | will start
lie went again to the village shop
bought milk, wheaton flour, and lard
and the poor old woman, with Elisha't
help, cooked and baked to her heart
content.
On the morrow he went to church